Electronic device



April 23, 1946. J. s. COMPTON ELECTRONIC DEVICE Filed May 24, 1943 MH W Patented A115231, 1946 l UNITED STATE ELECTRONIC DEVICE Justin S. Compton, Lebanon, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland y ApplicationMay 24, 1943, Serial No. 488,126

(Cl. ITI- 380) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a single denominational electronic electric impulse generator for serving a plurality of denominations of an impulse counting device in a single operation.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electronic electric impulse generator having an electron tube impulse producing element for each digit of a. denomination together with output means and switching means so that, in a single operation of the tubes, electric impulses may be sent equalling a selected digit value for each of a plurality of counting denominations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of impulse output circuits, one for each digit value of a denomination, each of which circuits is served by the same impulse producer but each circuit receiving only the number of impulses represented by its assigned digit value.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to produce electronically `a fixed number of electric impulses from which may be obtained groups of varying numbers of impulses.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of elements, the essentials of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter set forth with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

' The drawing represents a circuit diagram of a decimal system single denominational electronic impulse producer for serving a three-denominational decimal system impulse counter.

General description Referring to the drawing, there is provided a plurality of nine gaseous triode electron discharge tubes I0, II, I2, I3, Il, I5, I6, I1, and IB, eachis connected directly through resistances to thenegative supply conductor.

The potential supplies and resistances are balanced with the tube characteristics, so that, if

the control grid of tube l is grounded, as by switch 26, said tube I0 will tire and become conducting, and, in so doing, the rise in its cathode potential will change the potential at point 23 in a positive manner, so that the grid of tube II will lose control and tube II will become conducting, which in turn causes tubes I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I1, and I8 to become conducting automatically in sequence. Such automatically operating chain of tubes is well known in the art and is fully described in United States application for Letters Patent Serial No. 325,040, of Joseph R. Desch and Robert E. Mumma, led March 20, 1940, to which reference is made.

The sharp positive potential impulse produced at the cathode of a tube as it fires is transmitted through a capacitor such as capacitor |00, serving the tube I0, to a point 21. In a similar manner, point 28 receives a positive potential impulse as tube Il lires, point 29 receives a positive impulse as tube I2 fires, point 30 receives a positive impulse as tube I3 res, point 3| receives a positiveimpulse as tube I4 fires, point 32 receives a positive impulse as tube I5 fires, point 33 receives a positive impulse as tube I6 fires, point 34 receives a positive impulse as tube I1 tires,

and point 35 receives a positive impulse as tube I8 lires.

Points 21 and 23 are connectedthrough a rectiiler 36, points 28 and 29 are connected through a rectifier 31, points 29 and 30 are connected through a rectifier 38, points 30 and 3| are connected through arectifler 33, points 3| and 32 are connected through a rectifier 40, points 32 and 33 are connected through a rectier 4I, points 33 and 34 are connected through a, rectifier 42, and points 34 and 35 are connected through a rectifier 43. All of these rectiflers are oriented to pass positive impulses only in the direction oi point 21, and the rectiers should be of the type having a low internal capacity.

It will be apparent that, when tube I0 becomes conducting, only point 21 will receive the positive potential impulse; that, when tube II becomes conducting, points 20 and 21 will receive the positive potential impulse; and that, when tube I2 becomes conducting, points 29, 20, and 21 will receive the positive potential impulse. Thus, as each tube rires, it produces an impulse which is transmitted to its own output terminal and to all other output terminals between its own and point 21,

Therefore, as the tubes I0 to I8 inclusive are automatically ilred in sequence, point 21 will receive nine impulses, point 2l will receive eight impulses, point 29 will receive seven impulses, point 30 will receive six impulses, point Il will receive live impulses, point 32 will receive i'our impulses, point 33 will receive three impulses, point 34 will receive two impulses, and point 35 will receive one impulse.

- Point 2l is connected by conductor 50 through resistance 5| to ground. When key switch 52 is closed, conductor 53, serving a. hundreds bank of an impulse counter, will be given nine impulses on an operation of the impulse generator. Key switch 54, when closed, will cause nine impulses to be transmitted to conductor 55 serving a tens bank of an impulse counter. Key switch 58, when closed, will cause nine impulses to be transmitted to conductor 51 serving a units bank of an impulse counter.

Conductors 58, 58, 60, 6|, 82, 63, 84, and 65 in a similar manner serve the 8 key switches, the "7" key switches, the 6 key switches, the "5 key switches, the 4 key switches, the 3 key switches, the "2 key switches, and the "1 key switches, respectively,

Thus, by the closing of a selected key switch in chosen denominations of the denominational key switching unit, the desired number oi impulses will appear in the corresponding denominational output conductor.

The invention is not to be deemed limited by the number of tubes in the generator or by the number of output denominations served, as it is apparent that the principle of the invention is susceptible of expansion or contraction in either respect.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to conne the invention to the form herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms al1 coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A plurality of electric impulse producers, each when operated producing one impulse; means to operate all of said producers in sequence wherein each producer is operated once; an output circuit having in series therein a plurality of unidirectional current devices oriented in the same direction; and means coupling each impulse producer to a point between two of said unidirectional devices.

2. A plurality of electron tubes; means supplying operating potential to said tubes, which means includes a resistance associated with each tube so that conduction commencing in a tube causes a potential impulse at a point between the resistance and the tube; means interconnecting the tubes so that they may be made to become conducting one at a time in sequence; an output circuit for each tube, each coupled to the associated point; and a unidirectional electric current transmitting means joining each two adjacent output conductors in the sequence, so that each output conductor receives an impulse from the act of conduction commencing in its associated tube, and one for the act of conduction commencing in each tube succeeding it in the sequence.

3. A plurality of gaseous electron tubes; means supplying operating potential to said tubes, which means includes a resistance associated with each tube so that conduction commencing in a tube causes a potential impulse at a point between the resistance and the tube; means interconnecting the tubes so that they may be made to become conducting one at a time in sequence; an output circuit for each tube, each coupled to the associated point through a capacitor; and a unidirectional electric current transmitting means `icining each two adjacent output conductors in the sequence, so that each output conductor receives an impulse from the act of conduction commencing in its associated tube, and one for the act of conduction commencing in each tube succeeding it in the sequence.

4. In combination, a unidirectional electric impulse circuit including a plurality of points interconnected by unidirectional electric current passing devices, all of said devices being oriented to pass current in the same direction; and means for impressing an electric impulse on said circuit at each point in sequence.

5. In combination, a unidirectional electric impulse circuit including a plurality of points interconnected by unidirectional electric current devices, all of said devices being oriented in the same direction; means for impressing an electric impulse on said circuit at each point in sequence; and an output means for each point, each of which output means receives an impulse from its associated point and each succeeding point in the sequence.

6. In combination, a plurality of gaseous triode electron tubes each having an anode, a cathode, and a control grid, said tubes being equal in number to the number oi digits in a denomination of a particular numerical system; means supplying operating and discharge control energy to said tubes which includes a resistance in each cathode supply; means interconnecting the tubes in a chain for automatic discharge in sequence; a terminal point associated with each tube to which its cathode is electrostatically coupled; a rectier connecting the point associated with one tube of the chain with the point associated with the next tube of the chain in either direction, which rectiiiers are oriented to pass positive electric impulses toward the point associated with the first tube of the chain; and a plurality of denominational output circuits each having a plurality of switches for connecting it to a selected one of said points.

7. In combination, a plurality of triode electron tubes each having an anode, a cathode, and a control grid, said tubes being equal innumber to the number of digits in a denomination of a particular numerical system; means supplying voperating and discharge control energy to said tubes which includes a resistance in each cathode supply; means interconnecting the tubes in a chain for automatic discharge in sequence; a terminal point associated with each tube to which its cathode is electrostatically coupled; a rectirler connecting the point associated with one tube of the chain with the point associated with the next tube of the chain in either direction, which rectiflers are oriented to pass positive electric impulses toward the point associated with the iirst tube of the chain; and a plurality of denominational output circuits each having a plurality of switches for connecting it to a selected one ni' said points.

JUSTIN S. COMPTON. 

